Pros
The staff who support clients and community members, for the most part, genuinely care about their work and the impact that it has on the lives of those around them. There are many kind-hearted, generous people who work there
Cons
Apart from a tiny group of sycophants who act as a sort of "secret police" and routinely report on their co-workers (and go over the heads of their supervisors) to curry favor with the ED, everyone pretty much loathes her and they consistently cite her as the reason for leaving. I've been at some poorly-run non-profit orgs in the past, but I've never been in one where the leadership was so widely reviled. People who voice opinions that do not match those of the ED, and those who advocate for better treatment and working conditions, are cut off from decision-making because the ED only wants "yes-people" around her. the ED has very little social-emotional awareness, and has never been to therapy so she treats the mental health clinic like a sweatshop where quantity always outweighs quality. The ED also deflects any and all responsibility for organizational failures and a staff turnover rate that would outpace most fast-food restaurants. Don't even get me started on the highly suspicious accounting practices. People who leave the organization are rarely replaced in a timely fashion, and work just gets distributed to whoever is still standing. Middle management often requests for more active hiring, and are told that there are no funds (of course there are, because the grant-funded programs have already allocated the funds for the staff who left and need to be replaced!). There never seems to be money for improving the quality of MAHA's programs, but there's always ample funding for hosting expensive galas and swanky VIP-only soirees on the empty third floor of an extremely crowded building where clients are not afforded privacy or confidentiality to disclose seriously personal information like social security numbers, addresses, etc. Nobody except the ED and her tight-knit accounting team (all of whom ironically occupy office space directly outside the gigantic office of the ED where she can easily control and monitor them). This work environment caused me unreasonable amounts of stress and mental health breakdowns, including thoughts of hopelessness and suicidal ideation that I had not experienced in years. I've heard from many staff about them breaking down in tears in their cars before coming in the front doors because they simply cannot stand to work another day, but they can't simply quit because they are financially responsible for themselves and others. I came to MAHA with high hopes of changing lives and helping others, and I left with a coldness in my heart that sickens me.